Abstract

Shailendra experienced unbelievable hunger and poverty throughout his childhood. He lost his mother and sister at a young age, and this created a void in his early life. As a child, he was not allowed to play hockey because he was a low-caste Dalit. This was a time when India had just become independent. This ushered in a new era of awakening that was against discrimination based on caste or creed; and against cruelty toward and exploitation of workers. What that movement needed was a voice. And it was Shailendra who provided that voice! At that time, Urdu poetry dominated Hindi cinema. However, Shailendra introduced everyday Hindi (Hindustani) in his songs. Shailendra was a people’s poet. His unique talent was presenting his lyrics in a language that ordinary folks could easily understand and relate to, e.g., “Mera Joota hai Japani”, or “Awara hoon.” Shailendra’s lyrics about poverty and hunger became very popular because they represented his real-life experiences, and therefore came straight from his heart. According to poet and lyricist Gulzar, Shailendra was the best lyricist produced by the Hindi film industry. Javed Akhtar has said that Shailendra’s songs were not just writings but literature. He then goes on to say that Shailendra was not merely a songwriter, but a public philosopher because he quietly managed to slip in lyrics that contained the right values for Indian society. Finally, it was the Bhakti tradition that shaped Shailendra’s legacy. This paper is a humble effort to underline the contribution of Shailendra and analysis his work from different dimensions.